Local and General News

Feilding Star, Volume VIII, Issue 117, 9 April 1887, Page 2

Local and General News

There will be mass in St. Bridget's Church to- morrow (Easter Sunday) at 8 o'clock. Messrs Freeman R. Jackson and 00. will hold a sale of stock at their Feilding yards on Thursday the 14th of April. The catalogue of Messrs Thynue, Linton and Co. s stock sale to be held at Foxtou on Thursday, the 14th iuat, appears to-day. Yesterday's train from Wellington brought up quite a number of " sportists" from the Empire City, the maiority of whom alighted at different points between Lougburn and Ralcombe. Manawatu is fast becoming the hunting grounds for Wellington sportsmen. The 6.30 train from Palmerston on Thursday evening was crowded with volunteers from Napier, Woodville, and PalI merston. Duringtneearlv hoursof Friday morning a special train from Wellington containing the Wellington, Wairarapa, and Nelson contingents, also passed through Foilding en route for the encampment at New Plymouth. There is a tradition among the Jews, that the custom of Jmakmg fools on the first of April arose from the fact that Noah sent out the dove on the first of the month corresponding to our April, before the water had abated. To perpetuate the memory of the deliverance of Noith and his family* it was customary on this anniversary to punish persons who had forgotten the remarkable circumstance connected with the date, by sending them on Nome hopeless errand similar to that on which the Patriarch sent the. luckless bird from the windows of the ark. '• Puff" in the Press writes : — Alarming outbreak ot political addresses! Ballance, Fisher and Ormonde all at it at once last night I Fisher made the best speech of the three: Quite in his old form ! He ought to stick to big politics and not tie himself up in petty personal squabbles about nothing in particular ! Ah, that's where lie makes the mistake ! It's his blessed temper that does it ! At the meeting of shareholders of the Wellington-Manawatu Railway Company the report was adopted. Messrs James Smith, and T. G. McCarthy were elected Directors, and Messrs T. K. Macdonald and Somber, Auditors. The Chairman said it was not the intention of the Board to again employ the Auditors as assessors or auctioneers for the Company. The motion to grant a bonus to Mr Higginson, Chief Engineer, was carried unanimously. The Directors wore authorised to increase the Company's capital by the issue of fresh shares A snobbish medico, who came over from Australia with the colonists last summer, and of whom many arousing stories are told, wan very anxious to make the acquaintance of a certain noble duke, tie consulted a friend as to the best way to bring a meeting about. "Oh !" said the friend, " witit till the next linio you come across his Grace at the Exhibition (N.B.— The Duke was a Koyal Commissioner), then stop suddenly ,with a look of recognition, and way, 'My old friend Mr Wilkinson, I believe?' putting out your hand. The Duke wilt then explnin who he is: You, of course, apologise effusively, and so fall easily into conversation. It's a capi« tal plan and always succeeds." The doctor was delighted and accepted the suggestion con amore. At the Guildhall ball he' in due course came across the J)iibe, who. was venrine the ribbon and stnr of 'the Garter, and looking wxtremely dignified. In v moment tiuv'lutle medico hndrnmbled. acio-s the,, room, rfnd with what he meant to he a winning smile nn»l hand outstretched, remarked snuvely. " My hold friend Mr Wilkinson, / believe?". But sins ! His Gr;ice was equal lo the situation ' Instead of following out, i he procramme anticipated he Minrly unzed ft th' 1 unlwppv than with a eoH smile and ret<li«'H : " Itnleed ! Tf you believe tlii't yn'll liilii've anything," auil promptly mrued his back.

" Mamtnn," said a girl, who h«d ]iitst commenced her lessons in geography, ♦whereabouts shall I find the state of matrimony P" "Oh," replied the mother "you will find that to be of one the united states." It is said that 4.000,000 head of cnttle have bpen starred to death in the We*" tprn States of North America, in conse» quence of the severity of winter, from drought in Texas, and from other climatic causes. A machine in Canterbury threshed o. t 2106 bushels of oat* in one day, from five in th« morning to twenty-four minutes to eight p.m. Duriar that time three shifts were made with the machine. In . other seasons 1000 bushels a day was reckoned good work; this season they have threshed over 2000. Regarding the foreign outlook, it may be said that the key-note of 'he situation was struck by Count Kilnoky, who, in his speech in support of the extraordinary military rredit before the Austrian Dele* gation recently, said the situation of Europe, which its workings and counterworkings between the east and west, had so strongly the stamp ot uncertainty that it behoved all Stales to strengthen their power of defence. An old Scotch lady being in London, observed above ft currier's shop-Joor a cow's tail fixed to the wall by way of a sign. The shopman Went out and politely asked her what it was that drew her notice so much, upon which she answered : " Oh, I've stooden and lookit near an oor at the coo's tail, and I canna seei' the name o' wonder hoo the coo cud gang in sic a sma' hole and no be be able to pu' in her tail after her." In reply to a po«t»card in red ink, demanding immediate payment of tithes, on pain of distraint, the executors of a Merioethshire lady wrote .—" Sir, -In reply to your post-card, directed E.J., respecting tithes, I beg to acquaint you that she has gone to a world where there are no tithes paid, nor any endowed church demanding any. It is freedom all round where she is now." Says the southern contemporary : — " The decrease in the wool export of Buenos Ayres this year is 45,000 bales. After losing 25,000,000 sheep (nearly double as many as .New Zealand ha*), through bug worm a spell of cold weather kills a quarter of a million cattle worth at least as many pounds, plus the hides The poor stock owners of that country seem even w»rs» off than the drought* afflicted Australians." Anentertammentisannouncedfor Easter Monday night, at the Town Hall. A number of popular local amateurs will take part, amongst whom appear the names of Messrs Hartgill and Grossman. The entertainment will include musical selections to be followed by a laughable comedietta, full of fun and merriment. The prices are popular ones, and being a holiday night, a bumper house may safely be predicted. The Chief Justice is of opinion that Justices of the Peace should exercise greater caution than they do n hen dealiug summarily with criminal cases. His Honor, alluding to the prisoner Croxsley, against whom then* is a long list of previous convictions for offoncet committed in Auckland, Napier and Wellington, observed that in the majority of the casos Justices had sum marily convicted tlio man, thereby in* dutnng him to commit further crimes of a similar nature. — Post. Sir William Fox, speaking at Auckland on the responsibility of Christians as to the suppression of the liquor traffic last nitibt, drew special attention to diminishing number of the Maoris, ascribing it to the rum bottle. Their numbers had decreased from 140,0<)0 to 40,000 since he had been in the colony. In South Africa and in India, the same thing was going on. In British India civilisation hnd made 1000 drunkards to every Christian. In a divorce case which came before one of the French Courts a short time since, the proceedings only occupied a few minutes. "Your name?" said the President to the respondent. " KuffPiii< Francart, wife of Boishn 1 " "Your lover?" "In dead; my husband killed him." " That's true," exclnimed the petitioner, " I killed him ; but I did not take him unawares. I told him I meant to have his life." " Well," said tke President, in his most insinuating voice, " Hadn't you better make it up ? Your rival is dead. Are you not sufficiently avenged ?" And the husband took back his wife there and then. On the 4tb of January Boishu was tried for the murder of his wife's paramour, and the jury j acquitted him. ' Details of the rising in Bulgaria, an* nounced by cable, show that the outbreak in Silistria was entirely the work of the commandant, who was killed by his own men on the arrival of the Government troops before the town. The rising at Kustchuck was more serious than was generally known. It appears that the insurgent officers, after arresting the garrison and officers, appeared before the infantry bairacks and summoned them to surrender. The latter refused. Shols were thereupon exchanged, and the military rose against the rebels, who after a long and sanguinary nombat, were driven into the Danube, where they tried to escape in boats, but were stopped by a gunboat, and all the insurgents were killed or drowned and wounded, or made prisoners. The facilities offered by the Mauawatu Railway Company to reach Wellington at a very moderate outlay are certainly being taken advantage of by many residents of districts adjacent to the line. As a matter of health the outing is enjoyable through the pleasant railway trip to' the Empire City, while as to material and economical advantages those only want to be more widely known to be thorough^' appreciated. As tho stream of visitors is steadily setting in towards one of the finest and most attractive buildings and businesses in the City, viz., tho Te Aro House, WHOLESALE Family Drapery Warehouse, where the following I combination of advantages are offered : Int. A fine roomy, lofty warehouse, with abundance of light and all the latest convenionoos, co as to ensure the utmost comfort in buying. 2nd. A magnificent *twk- of General Drapery and Clothing bought in the best Home markets, directly from the manufacturers. 3rd. All (foods are marked in plain FIGURES, are sold at ACTUAL WHOLESALE PRICES, and any single article can be purchased, and any length cut. 4th. Customers cubing from the Country ■•■will effect a considerable tuning of time a/'ui ' lubor by visit ing the Llofrashmont Room on the premises, open daily from 9 a m to 6 jM »»., where tea, coffee, cocoa, and other sliht refreshments may he had at exceedingly reasonable charges. Prkssmakixg and Tailoring, both first class, are other sptcial advantages to be obtained only at the 'He Aro HorsE, Wtiolksale Family Dkapeky Warehouse,